Hope

The years 2016 and 2017 will probably live on as infamous years in history books. Lots of bad things have happened. There have been numerous terrorist attacks, the Western World has been engaged in a sort of cultural civil war, and a Cheeto was elected President of the United States. Harambe was killed. Celebrities were dying left and right. Climate Change brought on the hottest months on record. Right Wing Populism had a massive resurgence with rioting against an overly politically correct left, and there was an influx of refugees from wars these people created.

But I am not here to talk about that. You see, news is a product, just like food or mobile devices. You are essentially paying someone to watch a source – such as the war in Syria or one of President Trump’s signings – and give a summary. It’s too dangerous to fly out to Mosul and interview a member of ISIS about their views. Similarly, it’s boring to fly out to Washington DC and hear Trump talk about mining for an hour.

And people buy what they like to hear. News is a product, and they sell it to a certain type of customer. Breitbart sells to disenfranchised white teenagers, and BBC sells to everyone. They all cater to a view.

And while the world is depressing, it is also amazing, magical, and wonderous. Human beings can be needlessly cruel, but they can also be mind numbingly brilliant.

A Russian company 3D printed a 400 sq ft house in 24 hours. AIs can accurately predict people who are about to commit suicide, so clinics can help them. Robotic bees will pollinate crops. There will be birth control for men. Smart glasses change aperture automatically to make you see farther. Green energy is cheaper than fossil fuels. There will be a universal income. Super sponges have been developed that can absorb toxic spills. Uber has made self driving cars. New gun holsters force body cams to record when their gun is drawn. Elon Musk will make humanity a multi-planet civilization. Tesla is now worth more than Ford.